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Standing Out Without Cutting Your Price The numbers don’t look good this month. Your costs keep climbing while the supermarket down the street sells knockoffs of your products at rock-bottom prices. Your hands grip the edge of your desk as you wonder if it’s time to slash your own prices to stay alive. beyond the…
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Starting a food business comes with big dreams. But here’s something you won’t often hear: food business success might mean earning $65,000 a year while keeping your sanity intact. It means having enough in the bank to fix that mixer when it breaks and not panicking when a big client pays two weeks late. Finding…
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A few years ago, selling homemade food was a legal gray area. Maybe you’ve seen it—tacos sold from a backyard grill, tamales out of a cooler, breakfast sandwiches dropped down in a red bucket from an apartment window, sold through Instagram DMs. These were (and still are) the backbone of LA’s underground food scene. Now,…
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investing Beyond the Kitchen Counter Making amazing granola, hot sauce, or pickles isn’t enough anymore. The hard truth is that lots of people make great food. How they connect with their customers sets successful small food businesses apart. Think about this: when someone buys your jam at a farmers’ market, are they just buying jam?…
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Ever notice how some foods just feel special? Like that raspberry jam you splurge on at the farmers’ market, even though the grocery store’s half the price. That local maker isn’t just selling jam – they’re crafting a food product experience that makes your morning feel put-together, even when you’re anything but. Let’s talk about…
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understanding the true cost of the food we eat Ever wonder why a frozen pizza costs less than fresh vegetables? The price tag only tells part of the story. Cheap food seems like a good deal, but it comes with hidden costs that we all end up paying for. This is what is known as…
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If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably making something delicious in your home kitchen. It’s so good, people often tell you that you should start a business. You might be thinking that you really do make great dog treats (as an illustration), and you might be wondering if you should start a food business. Could…
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I get this question all the time and the answer is, “A food scientist is not always needed. It’s product specific.” Let’s dig into that. Here are some reasons why you might need a food scientist: Most small food businesses do not need a food scientist. Here’s what to expect if you hire one: In…
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What’s the difference between margins and mark-ups? Which do you use, and when? Simply stated if you’re a packaged food/taxable grocery brand, you should use margin, not mark up. Why? Because that’s what stores, and distributors and brokers and wholesale buyers use. You need to be speaking their language, because when a business analyzes their…
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From sourcing ingredients to accelerating sales, since the pandemic, the challenges facing small food business owners have become much larger. A specialty confection producer recently told me that if her business doesn’t make money this year, she’s done because she can earn more money working fewer hours back in corporate consulting. The producer is stocked…
